The outline of Tatooine appeared on the horizon. Still, there were no ships in sight. General Organa and the rest of the Resistance were nowhere to be found. Rey slammed her hands down in frustration.
"We're too late!" she cried. "Shit! They must have already landed."
Kylo sighed. "So much for warning them about the ambush."
"I'll bring the ship down," Rey said, trying to keep her cool. "Do you know where the base is?"
"What's the point?" Kylo asked. "We'll be heading into a slaughter. And it's all my fault."
"Come on," Rey snapped, her calm demeanor slipping. "We talked about this, Kylo. And we don't have time for your self-pity. Where's the base?"
Kylo leaned over and punched some coordinates into the ship's navigation system. Rey let go of the controls, allowing the ship's autopilot to take over. Kylo sank back into his seat and buried his face in his hands. Rey reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry I snapped, Kylo. Your mother's going to be fine. She's the toughest person I've ever met."
Kylo looked up. "I hope so. If something happens to her, I don't know what I'll do. I can't be responsible for the deaths of two parents."
Rey was startled. Kylo'd never mentioned Han's death before. Neither had she. There was no point, it wasn't like talking about it would have changed anything and Rey wouldn't have known what to say anyway. But it had always been there, a gap between them.
"This isn't your fault," Rey whispered.
"What happened to my father was," Kylo insisted.
"You weren't yourself back then," Rey reminded him. "You were just following Snoke's orders."
"I didn't do anything I didn't want to do. I was so angry with him." Kylo turned to look out the window. "Sometimes I still can't believe I did it," he whispered.
"You're different now," Rey told him. "I know you are."
"Sometimes I'm not so sure. Look at what's happened.
"This is completely different," Rey insisted. "And besides, you're trying. That's what's important. That you keep trying."
"And I will, Rey." Kylo took Rey's hand. "I promise."
The ship entered the atmosphere, shaking and raddling its occupants. Kylo leaned forward, as though it would make the ship go faster. "I'm going to save my mother, Rey. And I'm going to protect you, no matter what happens."
"I can protect myself," Rey said as she prepped the ship for landing.
"I know, I know." Kylo smiled. "I forgot how stubborn you are."
"You love me for it," Rey said with a grin.
Kylo grew serious. "I do. More than anything."
The ground came in to view. Rey could see the base, small buildings scattered around the sandy landscape, surrounded by a fence. She could also see the ships on the Resistance fleet parked nearby. Then, to her horror, she caught sight of another fleet. The sleek, shiny ships of the First Order dotted the ground around the base, effectively trapping those belonging to the Resistance. The ambush had been a success. General Organa and her troops had expected to surprise the First Order. Instead, they were the ones that had been surprised. Rey could only hope she and Kylo weren't too late to help.
"Get ready for landing," she told Kylo. "Touch down may be rough."
Kylo nodded, leaning back into his seat and fastening his belt. The ship touched down, bouncing a few times over the sand dunes.
"Come one," Rey cried, freeing herself from the pilot's chair. "We've got to help them!"
She raced out of the ship, Kylo following closely behind. They ran past the abandoned ship to the gates of the base, which had been forced open. Inside, there was complete chaos. Blasters fired, people screamed. Bodies covered the ground.
"I need to find my mother," Kylo yelled, trying to be heard over the noise. A solider ran by, Kylo grabbed him by the arm. "Where's the general?" he asked.
"Why would I tell you, traitor?" the man snapped.
"Please," Kylo begged. "I need to know that she's alright."
The solider sighed, relenting. "Last I saw; she was over by the mess hall. She and a few others took it and are trying to hold it."
"Trying?" Kylo asked.
"Well there's only so many of us. We were completely overwhelmed. They threw everything they had at us." The man shook his head. "You should have stayed away, kid. If any of us make it out of here alive, it'll be a miracle."